Reciprocating floor conveyors are presently being used in a number of environments. They are being installed as floors in the bottom of large trucks and trailers for use in both loading and unloading cargo. They have a future use in railcars. They have been used in transport vehicles for garbage which includes a considerable amount of liquid. It is undesirable to allow the liquid to drip downwardly from the vehicle while the vehicle travels on roads or railways. Accordingly, there is a need for a reciprocating floor conveyor which is substantially leak proof.
Several embodiments of a leak proof reciprocating floor conveyor are disclosed by my U.S. patent No. Re. 33,196, granted Apr. 10, 1990, and based on my U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,708, granted Sep. 16, 1986. U.S. patent No. Re. 33,196 discloses spacing floor members laterally apart and positioning liquid collection channels between the floor members. U.S. patent No Re. 33,196 also discloses constructing a supporting and guiding base for the floor members from a plurality of identical extrusions which are connected together to form the support base and guiding structure for the floor members A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of a leak proof floor which includes laterally spaced apart floor members and liquid collection channels between the floor members, and to an improved construction of the bearings and hold down system used with such floor members.
My copending application Ser. No. 07/516,972, filed Apr. 30, 1990, discloses a waterproof floor within a container which also includes a system for collecting water which has drained from the garbage, or some other liquid containing material that is being transported The improved leakproof floor of this invention is usable in a container which also includes the collection system disclosed and claimed in application Ser. No. 07/516,972.